Australia on November 1 recognised India’s Covaxin and China’s BBIBP-CorV for international travel to the country. The move comes following the country has eased curbs on international travel after 18 months.
Australia’s regulatory authority for therapeutic goods, the TGA, announced that Covaxin, manufactured by Bharat Biotech and BBIBP-CorV, manufactured by Sinopharm, vaccines would be ‘recognised’ to establish a traveller’s vaccination status.
“This recognition is for travellers aged 12 and over who have been vaccinated with Covaxin, and those 18 to 60 who have been vaccinated with BBIBP-CorV,” it said in a statement.
The TGA said, in recent weeks, it has obtained “additional information demonstrating these vaccines provide protection and potentially reduce the likelihood that an incoming traveller would transmit COVID-19 infection to others while in Australia or become acutely unwell due to COVID-19.”
“The supporting information has been provided to the TGA from the vaccine sponsor and/or the World Health Organisation.”
As Covaxin is being recognised, many Indian citizens will cross the Australian border in the coming days.
“This recognition means many citizens of China and India, as well as other countries in our region where these vaccines have been widely deployed, will now be considered fully vaccinated on entry to Australia. This will have significant impacts on the return of international students, and the travel of skilled and unskilled workers to Australia” the media release added.
